A Shadow's Love Poem
by Hydra no Mago
Summary: "He wants to touch her, wants to talk to her, wants to get to know her better, but he can't. He can never do that. He could only observe everything from the shadows, for she belongs in the light." AU on an END-type monster Natsu and Lucy in a predicament. Mainly NaLu fluff/ adventure.
1. Chapter 1: The shadow

**I'm really guilty (** _ **pleased)**_ **to say that here's another NaLu fanfic.  
This time it's an AU where Natsu is a monster (imagine what E.N.D. would be like) and Lucy is in a predicament.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 **A Shadow's Love Poem**

Chapter 1: The shadow

He watches her silently form the safety of the shadows. She is beautiful as always, her long golden hair underneath the sunlight, her doe-like brown eyes and her warm smile which could melt the thickest ice. He wants to touch her, wants to talk to her, wants to get to know her better, but he can't.

He can never do that.

~.~.~.~

He slumps onto the riverbank, not caring if the mud would stick to his clothing. The leaves from the branches offer much shade and the cool water running through the ground makes a calming sight. He lets out a soft sigh, one filled with longing and crushed hope.

Bending over, he observes his reflection in the water. It was an image he had saw many times and wished to change every single time he did. Why? Well, he was simply a monster. Horns sprouted from tufts of salmon hair form his head; fangs sharp and deadly; scales covering the sides of his face , his arms, legs and torso; two giant leather wings black as death fixed to his back; his nails were claws. Yet he retained somewhat human features, for example his overall body structure.

Not a entirely a human, not entirely a monster; a wanderer. He was a wanderer with no where to go, no where to fit into.

Disgusted with his own appearance and grey nature, he growled lowly, clawed at the water and stalked away. He could care less where he was going at the moment, all he knew was anger, anger, anger. His footsteps made loud thumps on the forest floor, leaves crunching under his feet. His wings were kept tightly behind him, his fists balled. Abruptly, he hit the side of a tree, vibrations causing the birds to fly quickly away as if sensing much danger.

He cursed under his breath.

~.~.~.~

He has no idea how he came to in a dense forest near the city of Magnolia. He has no recollection of his past. He has only himself, and he hated himself from the start. What was he but a savage beast which has taken on human form?

He hunts for food or steals them from homes close to the edge of the forest, drinks water from the rivers, makes a nest in a cave. He bides his time with various activities, his favourite is flying above the clouds in the sky, but he is easily bored with regular routines.

What possessed him to impulsively stay close to the edge of the dense forest to observe the humans from afar that day is also one of his great mysteries. He could have been hunted by the humans themselves, pitchforks and torches blazing, but he does not lament it for if not for that impulse, he would not have seen her. Her, whom has haunted his dreams both day and night ever since his eyes had seared her image onto his brain.

Lucy. Lucy Heatfilia was her name, a daughter to one of the richest merchants in Fiore. She took his breath away, and suddenly he knew what he was going to do for the rest of his days. Suddenly, he felt that his life had been given so that he could do more than laze around in the forest until he died. If he should die, he felt that he would not hesitate to do so for her. That was the power weilded by Lucy, the power to enchant a monster's heart.

~.~.~.~

He discovers that Lucy loves to read. She sits under an apple tree in her garden during the windy afternoons for hours on end with a book in her lap. He loves the various faces she makes when she is reading, able to define each one. She tilts her head when she seems curious, frowns making wrinkles appear between her brows, smiles softly at the text, laughs when she reaches a comedic part. And oh, the tinkling sound of her laughter melts his heart into goo.

He wonders what it would be like to read. How do humans decipher lines and lines of text endlessly, to him it seemed magical, like the power he has to ignite flames on his hands and feet. In a bid to want to know her world better, he snooped here and there around nearby villages, towns, and nicked a few books. Piling them all up in his cave, he tried his hardest to learn how to read.

Of course, it was at first to him, another mystery.

~.~.~.~

Mastering the common tongue of humans had proved difficult and trying to him, yet he was stubborn enough not to give up. Today, he could understand, speak and freely use their language however he wished. The downside was he had no one to talk to.

He began to understand the meanings of the titles printed on Lucy's books. Many of them were children's stories. Tales of good and evil, tales of caution, tales of princesses and their white knights. Most of those he had read before, he hid the books in his cave. Some of Lucy's books, he had no clue what their content may be. Titles like _"Most Romantic Love Poems"_ for example, flew right by his head.

He wanted to know, he needed to know. All for the sake of trying to understand this human girl better. After a while, he actively began to seek for books with similar titles, going from town to town, village to village. They were never easy to come across and on several shameful occasions he had to resort to stealing from Lucy's personal collection during the night and returning them before dawn.

And on those occasions he fancied he could still feel the warmth of her hands from the pages of the book, those lines of words which contained so much meaning. He held the books close to his face and managed to inhale the sweet scent of apples, grass and strikingly Lucy.

~.~.~.~

He continues his watch over her day by day, noticing how she is growing into a splendid young lady. Yet, recently her face shows signs of stress and of worry. She is not her usual cheerful self on most days, instead there seems to be a downcast cloud hanging over her head. He wishes to be the one to take all her pain away.

During a gloomy day last week, he noticed her sitting under the apple tree without a book in hand, here eyes seeing some faraway place. He did not like seeing this Lucy who looked so miserable and hopeless, a look he knew very well. Without a single sign of warning, the girl broke down into tears, hugging herself tightly and letting the waterworks flow. His heart clenched painfully and a dread built up in his stomach, a sickening of the heart. As her cries grew louder so did the dull feeling in his chest.

He clutched the front fabric of his clothes tightly, hoping beyond all hope that he could wrap his arms around her instead; hug her until all her broken pieces are glued back together.

~.~.~.~

He did not truly comprehend it himself, why he chose to write that kind of letter in her most fragile moments. He knew he had to do something, anything, to make her snap out of her misery. If he could he would have much preferred to face her and wash all her problems away, yet he was a monster. There was no telling how she might react, how pungent he may seem to her.

So he wrote. He had no one to check it for him, using only his knowledge attained from hours of reading the books he had over and over, the ones which now line the walls of his cave. Whenever he read the short note over, he cringed in embarrassment and shame, but he steeled himself when he jumped onto her window sill that night.

 _This is for Lucy. I'm doing this for Lucy._

Her sleeping form always looked so peaceful, free from the clutches of the material world. That night, as the moonlight filtered in through the thin curtains, he could see her brows knitted tightly together, mouth curved downwards into a frown. Debating internally, and finally coming to a conclusion, he lightly tranced his finger across her forehead in an attempt to soothe her. Miraculously, her worried face soon disappeared, reverting back into the peaceful lull. He smiled lightly to himself as he placed the note on her desk, leaving nothing else behind.

~.~.~.~

She awakens to the usual sound of birds chirping outside her window. Still under the veil of sleep, she slowly crawls to the edge of her bed, seats herself upright and yawns. As the days go by, it was getting much harder to leave her nest of blankets behind. Most of it was due to her wanting to escape the cruel fate known as reality.

She was to wed another merchant's wealthy son in a month, all of it against her wishes. Ever since her mother died, the bond between her father and herself had been gradually thinning. Now, with this act of his that bond had been broken.

Being held in their grounds like a prisoner, not allowed to voice out her own opinions. She hated it.

If only she could be more like the characters in her books! Some of them strong-willed and powerful like Titania the fairy queen; others who were lucky enough to have their prince charming save them from the clutches of evil.

 _I don't need a prince right now. I need to get out of here, and I don't care if I am to be a dragon's prisoner instead._ She scans her room filled to the brim with books as her only company. _Anything is better than this._

She grabs the hair tie from her table to tame her long locks, when she notices a yellowed piece of paper folded neatly on her tabletop. She remembers nothing about leaving a note on her table yesterday, nor the day before that. Curious, she picked it up.

 _ **Just how can I be by your side, I wonder.  
**_ _ **Again, this voice disappeared mid-air and didn't reach you.  
**_ _ **The outline that I drew of your profile was beautiful.  
**_ _ **I was stained, and I fell into the darkness.**_

 _ **The world is never fair,  
**_ _ **Yet I continue to think of only you, always.**_

 _ **Someday we'll surely try and meet,  
**_ _ **That's what I believe.  
**_ _ **I had a feeling that I heard your voice,  
**_ _ **Riding on the wind that night.**_

 _ **For example, how about we  
**_ _ **Rendezvous in our dreams?  
**_ _ **You might not notice,  
**_ _ **Since I'm always waiting for you.**_

 _ **I want you to smile,  
**_ _ **So I can smile as well.  
**_ _ **Now, I'll gently embrace,  
**_ _ **Even this sad fate.**_

" _ **What a fool," I said, as I dance,  
**_ _ **Together with the mischievous moon.  
**_ _ **I noticed your profile as you sadly looked down,  
**_ _ **You shifted away so I wasn't even able to touch you.  
**_

 _ **I don't know the reason why your tears are overflowing either.  
**_ _ **So I guess the only thing I can do is stay here and cry with you.  
**_ _ **  
If we don't meet and just stay this way forever,  
**_ _ **Will our thoughts fade away, I wonder?  
**_ _ **Though I've grown jealous of,  
**_ _ **The rain that falls on your cheek.**_

 _ **For example, how about we  
**_ _ **Exchange vows within our dreams?  
**_ _ **Someday, the next time we meet,  
**_ _ **Maybe you can be seen with me.**_

 _ **Someday we'll surely try and meet,  
**_ _ **That's what I believe.  
**_ _ **I had a feeling that I heard your voice,  
**_ _ **Riding on the wind that night.**_

 _ **For example, if there is  
**_ _ **No future in this dream,  
**_ _ **Then I'll just wish for your happiness  
**_ _ **From within the shadows.**_

 _ **If you smiled for someone,  
**_ _ **Would I be able to smile, I wonder?  
**_ _ **It's a sad fate, but  
**_ _ **It's the only love that I'll sing of.**_

For an unfathomable reason, Lucy felt fat hot tears spilling from her eyes. Maybe it was due to the hopelessness of her situation, maybe it was due to the happiness of having such a romantic admirer. Yet she knew that it was more of a rush of relief.

 _Someone. There's someone out there who can help me._

* * *

 **Steady on for the next chapter! (Ideas and critiques are very much welcome)  
*Note: The note is an english translation of the song "A Shadow's Love Song". [Try Kakihara's version, VA of Natsu]  
**

 **Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing this plot bunny into a story.**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2: The light

***Note: _"Bold, italics"_ _= Natsu's notes_ ; **_"Italics"_ _= Lucy's notes_

* * *

Chapter 2: The light 

_Someone. There's someone out there who can help me._

The poem in her hands now served as a lifeline for her, hope was once again restored in her heart. For if this note were true, then someone must have left it on her table for her. And if he could do that, that means this secret admirer could get in, and most importantly, out.

Several schemes began to form in her mind, of her running away from this prison with her white knight in shining armour, of them living together in hut in the woods. To her, it didn't matter if the person who liked her was rich enough to buy ten plots of land or poor enough not to be able to afford a simple house. If he loved her and she were able to love him, it would make her the happiest girl in the world.

Not that she knew what he was like at all, but she could still hope for her tall dark knight, right?

~.~.~.~

She hatched a plan while resting under the apple tree that day with a book in her hand. There was no guarantee of it, but all she could do was try.

She knew for a fact that her admirer must only have left the note on her table at night whilst she was still sailing in dreamland. And for him to be able to do that, he must have known that guards were posted all around the perimeter of their home 24/7. Two main guards at the front gate, two at the back, one guard in each section of the garden, one occupying the roof and another two at the giant oak front doors. An additional six guards in total were in charge of the inside of the house at night.

Her father was a sometimes paranoid man, but all his precautions have managed to deter any thieves who wanted to attempt break-ins. All this with the help of his privately hired guards who excelled in use of weaponry and the martial arts.

To be able to bypass all the guards in the middle of the night and make it all the way into her room, her admirer was indeed a very capable man who knew at least, the layout of the guards. That must surely mean that her admirer either somehow guessed all the positions of the guards right, or he had observed said guards many times before. Which meant, even as she sat there under the bright red apples, her admirer might have been watching her.

The notion naturally sent a chill down her spine, but she wasn't too afraid. If he were as sweet as his words, then he would not mean her any harm. Unless of course he were a serial murderer who had placed a big fat target on her face, but even then she would think it better than to be held against her own will. (She was imaginative and utterly ridiculous that way sometimes)

Also, there was a line in the poem which made her wonder about her admirer's whereabouts at the moment. Looking around, she whipped the note out of the pocket of her dress. She kept it on her since this morning to ensure her father didn't 'accidentally' find it.

 _ **Then I'll just wish for your happiness,  
From within the shadows. **_

What did "shadows" here mean? Surely in a pure literature point of view, it could be just another description. Yet reading the poem as a whole gives the sense that the writer is not well-versed in a descriptive writing style, one which uses figurative terms much. There were a few instances when the poet did use figurative words, but how much of them were actually literal? The "shadows" could literally mean that he was watching her from the shadows.

It was an insubstantial theory, fuelled more by her desire to escape than her rational train of thought. But if there was a one in a million chance that she was right, and oh god please let her be right, she would take it.

The sky darkened with rain clouds threatening to spill. She got up, patted the back of her dress to rid it of the grass, turned to walk back to the house and slowly slipped her handkerchief to the ground, hoping that her admirer may notice the note in it.

" _If you are the one who wrote me the poem, you have my warmest thanks. It saved me, because I have a feeling that you truly do care for me and that you can help me.  
Please, help me get out of here, out of my prison." _

~.~.~.~

The next morning, she pushed herself out of bed with the same dread, yet her heart was pounding in a sort of anticipation. _Did he get my note? Did he read it?_ Looking out the window, she saw that the grass was still wet, so were the benches. It had rained quite heavily last night, so she was worried her admirer may not have made it in time to read her note.

Sighing softly, she reached over to her table for her hair tie only to notice her handkerchief and a yellowed piece of paper folded neatly on her tabletop. Her heart skipped a beat. _Could it be?_ Hastily, she grabbed the note off the table and opened it.

" _ **I don't know how to start. The poem is just a mirror reflecting my feelings for you and I still am not sure if you have received them well. But I am most honoured that you think I can help you, and would love to do so. Yet I can't help you, for I am in no position to do so, I am sorry. If I did help you, you would come to hate me. If I can I would, but I can't. I'm sorry."**_

She balled her fists in anger and humiliation. Who was he to say those things? How could he assume that he was to be hated after he had helped her? She would have been extremely grateful! She would have thanked him, not hate him! Who was he to write all those honeyed words and now run away with his tail tucked between his legs when things got rough?

She tossed the note into the far corners of her room and slumped back onto her bed.

Her only hope, lost.

~.~.~.~

For the hundredth time that day, she wondered what compelled her to do this. Perhaps because she wanted another chance to escape her fate, perhaps she had a feeling that her admirer had his own reasons or perhaps she was crazy. The last option seemed pretty appealing by now.

" _Why would I hate you? I have no reason to do so, so think not of assuming things, especially when those things concern me. Please understand when I say this: You are my only hope. If you can't help me, no one else can. And if no one can, then I shall be married to someone whom I don't even know against my will in a few weeks.  
If you care for me, if you truly care for me, then help me.  
I shall be staying up late tonight to await your answer." _

When dusk had settled in, she dropped her handkerchief once again to the ground.

~.~.~.~

The sky was dark, stars speckled in the velvet night sky. Moonlight shone into the room, illuminating the space in a soft blue glow. The clock showed that it was past 3 in the morning, but there was still no sign of her admirer.

She went to sleep soon after.

~.~.~.~

She woke up to the sound of birds chirping, went through the same motions to find the same things placed on her table. Picking the yellowed note up, she frowned.

" _ **You will hate me Lucy. Everyone does, especially at first sight. I am not being insecure, it is a known fact. I want to help you, I really do! But I don't wish to be hated by the girl who I have fallen in love with.  
Please, don't break my already hurt heart." **_

The dried ink on the note was smudged, the writing a messy scrawl. Marks on the edge which looked like water drops. In that moment, Lucy felt her own heart hurt for this man. Was he really that afraid of her hating him that he would sacrifice his pride to spill it out to her? Was this the truth?

It was difficult for her not to believe it were the truth, so sincere were his words in that brief note. _Maybe, just maybe, he is afraid that he would repel me._ Yet the only reason she could think of his insecure self were to have people hate him because of his looks. He mentioned people hating him at first sight, and not much is there to be gleamed about a person's true self when one first meets them.

Was he extremely ugly or unappealing to society? Maybe he was hunchbacked, or he has warts all over his face, or he had a disfiguration of some sort. Whatever it was, if she looked at him straight in the face, would she be able to love him? Would she, like all the others before her, be afraid or disgusted with his appearance?

She pulled a chair, picked up her fountain pen and began to write the next note.

~.~.~.~

What was he to do? For several days now, Lucy had been 'accidentally' dropping her handkerchief and leaving him notes. He was elated that she acknowledged his presence, so happy he had accidentally set a pile of leaves on fire, but she was asking for the moon from him.

He could get her out, it was a piece of cake. What worried him most was her reaction to his appearance. No one would like a monster to come help them.

He hung his head and sighed. Opening the note carefully with both hands, he reread it.

" _To be honest, I don't care what you look like. So you may not be a tall dark handsome stranger that every girl is looking for, but you must be a very kind person. Otherwise, you wouldn't think of trying to help me.  
Whether or not you wish to help me, I will just say this. No, I don't hate you. And I will not hate you just because of your looks. I am not that fickle of a person to judge a book by its cover, please do understand that.  
You have stood me up once already, but I shall be waiting tonight. I have my essentials packed and I shall wait. Whether or not you wish to come save me from my cage." _

It was an ultimatum. Either whisk her away from her house tonight or never be able to win her heart again. She will feel betrayed and disappointed. She might, no, definitely will shed tears again. And he didn't want to see her like that, didn't want to make her any more sad than she was. He wanted her to smile again, that warm smile, like she always did.

 _But when she sees me, she will scream. She will begin to toss objects at me. She might cry out of fear._ He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. _What am I to do?  
_

~.~.~.~

She sits on the edge of her bed, staring into blank space. The clock showed a little over 2 in the morning and she was gradually losing her ability to keep her eyes open. She hoped that he would come and save her, she hoped that her note was convincing enough.

Beside her was a small pack filled to the brim with clothes, several of her favourite books, ink and paper. It was difficult choosing things to pack into her small bag, even more difficult when she thought about the things she would leave behind. No matter what, her father would still be her father.

 _He isn't coming, is he?_ She smiles sadly as her heart clenched in her chest, a dull feeling. She thought that she could count on him, but it would seem that she was kicked the pack underneath her bed swiftly. Just as she was about to crawl underneath the covers and cry herself to sleep again, she heard a soft tap.

Turning around to the source of the sound, her brown eyes widened in surprise. Illuminated by the blue moonlight, sitting on her window sill, was no man. Horns, claws, fangs, scales and large wings. It was a monster.

She was trembling, she knew. Her throat was parched. She felt a sudden boost of adrenaline coursing through her veins, asking her to _shout, scream, do something, anything!_ But she was glued to the ground. She inhaled a shaky breath.

"Lucy?" The monster spoke, a soft whisper which sounded human. "Lucy, please, don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you." The monster held out both his hands in a sign of surrender and stared right at her. She steeled her nerves to stare back.

Bright eyes, a dark greenish-yellow in colour in slanted pupils. Yet she sensed no malice in them, instead they were pleading to her. She gathered herself. "W-who are you?" she whispered back.

The monster showed a little relief, probably because she did not scream at him just yet. "I'm..." he stopped to scratch the back of his head, a sheepish expression coming across his features. "Uh, I'm your secret admirer."

She had guessed as much.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! A tad short but I like to keep it simple.  
See you in the next chapter! **


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